


The Bribe, Book 3

by Fenchurch



Series: The Bribe [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 10:18:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10554678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fenchurch/pseuds/Fenchurch
Summary: John Sheppard was bribed to go to Atlantis by being given Rodney McKay as a slave. He accepted and then had to work out what to do with him. John grew up with slaves all around him at home and in businesses everywhere, but he never gave them much thought... until he got one. Now he has to try to keep his slave safe from all the people who seem to have it in for him. And try and avoid Teyla's sticks, 'cos she isn't too happy about the whole slavery thing either...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a WIP. It may, one day, get picked up again, but it has languished, unfinished, for a long time, mostly since the day my laptop had an argument with a cup of tea and I lost most of book 3. I have never been able to recapture what I lost and I spent far too long trying to FIND it, rather than just rewrite it. I also had a baby who then grew up into a 7 year-old in a flash (I think there was an accident with a time machine...). I will post what I have and see what happens...
> 
> I forgot - This was beta'd by Goddess47 who is the Greatest Goddess ever! She helped, changed, added commas and even wrote parts of this for me! Then she even came over from the US to the UK and visited me and tried scones! Oh and I burnt croissants for her! I praise her name for ever!

“No Rodney!”

 

“But Carson…”

 

“No, Rodney. Listen to me, please.”

 

“But I…”

 

“Everything OK Doctor?”

 

Both friends turned quickly to see one of the soldiers posted to guard the infirmary come into Carson’s lab, ready to intervene.

 

“Everything is fine, thanks,” Carson gave the easiest smile he could, under the circumstances.

 

“Shall I take him away, sir?” The marine nodded in Rodney’s direction and Rodney took a step backwards and bowed his head, as he remembered who he was and, more importantly, what.

 

“No, thanks! He’s under my supervision at the moment. You could get a-hold of Major Sheppard, though. I left my radio in my office.”

 

The marine smiled, crisis averted.

 

“I’ll do that then, Doc.”

 

Carson breathed a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding, and put a hand on Rodney’s shoulder.

 

“You’ve got to be more careful.”

 

Rodney nodded, ruefully. “I forgot.” He looked up at his friend and his face was a picture of misery. “I’ve been spoiled, Carson. I’ve got you and I can get away with all kinds of things with the Major and Dr Zelenka is amazing. He really doesn’t seem to care that I’m a slave. But I really want this. If I could only manipulate the Ancient stuff myself, I could do almost anything!”

 

“I’m sorry, Rodney. I’d use you in an instant if you were free, but… I have no idea if it’s really safe and…” the doctor lowered his voice. He wasn’t happy to admit this part. “I don’t think I could survive slavery.”

 

“What?”

 

“If you… anything happened to you… I’d be enslaved in your place. You know the rules. I can’t do anything unless your master agrees.”

 

“Is… is that why you called for him?”

 

“Aye,” Carson’s brows rose in question. “Why? What did you think?”

 

“I thought… I thought you were going to punish me.”

 

“You’re obviously not that spoiled,” Carson mused and then, seeing Rodney’s puzzled expression, added. “You don’t seem terribly worried about punishment. Or even about me betraying you.”

 

“You have no choice. If you hadn’t reassured that marine, I’d have been dragged straight to the punishment room.”

 

“You’re not… worried?”

 

“It’s pain. I can live without it,” Rodney shrugged, but he didn’t raise his eyes.

 

“What’s up Doc?”

 

They both turned to see Sheppard emerging from the corridor.

 

“Aye, that’s gets funnier every time, Major,” Carson rolled his eyes and John grinned.

 

“So? What’s up?” John leaned against the counter. “Rodney? Have you been upsetting nurses again?”

 

“No!”

 

“He wants the gene therapy,” Carson explained.

 

“You’ve got it working?”

 

“I think so. It’s nothing like FDA approved and I could be struck off for even suggesting this, but Rodney wants to try it.”

 

“How safe is it?”

 

“It hasn’t killed off any blood cells yet and the gene seems to just slot itself into the genome. It’s just that it doesn’t behave like any genetic cell structure I’ve seen before. It’s more like a… a computer virus than a recognisable DNA structure.”

 

“What would normally be the next stage in your research?”

 

“Well, normally it would be human trials next, but we haven’t any… I refuse to just use slaves. We don’t have any to spare anyway.”

 

John smiled at this. There were plenty of medical researchers who thought nothing of trying out their potions on life convicts like Rodney had been. Rodney was protected, now, by his status as a personal possession and John suddenly felt a tide of protectiveness wash through him.

 

John signalled to Rodney, who obeyed and knelt at his Master’s side. He was supposed to do this anyway, according to protocol, but, whereas before it would have been a chilling humiliation, now it was pure pleasure. His Master’s hand rested affectionately on his hair and Rodney sighed happily.

 

“Would it harm him?”

 

“I’m about 85% sure that it would be painless and barely noticeable.”

 

“And the other 15%?”

 

“Most likely there would be a rash and some flu-like symptoms… and maybe the urge to run in a little wheel and eat cheese.”

 

“What?”

 

Carson’s dimples made an appearance as he grinned at his own joke. “Mice seem to possess the gene naturally. It’s all part of the process.”

 

“It won’t kill him then?”

 

“No.”

 

John looked down at Rodney’s beseeching face and nodded. “You promise he won’t be harmed?”

 

“I promise, John.”

 

“Thank you Master!”

 

John tugged his slave to his feet and pushed him in Carson’s direction.

 

“You’re going to watch?” Carson asked.

 

“Yeah. I want to see him trying to fit in the cage with the wheel! Should I alert the Mess and check on cheese supplies?”

 

Carson rolled his eyes again and Rodney just hopped onto the bed and rolled up his sleeves, beaming.

 

“It might not work,” Carson warned.

 

“But think if it does…”

 

 

It was a disappointingly easy procedure. Just a simple injection that made Rodney say “Ow!” as though the doctor had been particularly brutal.

 

“Well?” John asked. “Just squeak once for yes and twice for no.”

 

“I don’t feel any different.”

 

“Well, you won’t,” Carson explained. “It’ll have to take effect first. You have a whole DNA structure to rewrite. Why don’t the two of you go and sit quietly somewhere for a couple of hours?”

 

“How will we know?” John asked.

 

“Just touch something,” Carson shrugged. “Go and ask Radek if he has any gizmos you can practice on. But leave it at least 2 hours.”

 

“Come on then!” John beamed. “Let’s go and take some time off!”

 

“I’ll need to go get a ‘gizmo’ first,” Rodney made air quotes.

 

“OK. Lab then quarters, but I’m coming with you to make sure you don’t get stuck into some work.”

 

“Yes Master,” Rodney sighed as though put upon, but he was grinning too widely to pull it off properly


	2. Chapter 2

From a very early age, Rodney McKay had known that he was destined for greatness. He had always known that he would be a hero and that he would be able to save everyone. He had always assumed that it would be done through the power of his brain – that he would be able to out-think the villains, find the answer through Physics or invert the polarity of the neutron flow… or whatever its real-life equivalent was. He had never, ever, expected to be a hero through being brave.

Suddenly he was viewed in a totally new way and it was very disconcerting. Until a few weeks ago, he had been a despised, hated and abused slave, beaten for amusement and humiliated at every turn. Then he had been given as a bribe to his Master and, suddenly, he had become a real person again. He had a champion, a Master who refused to allow the abuse to continue and who had even stood up to one of his tormentors.

And then he had acquired the ATA gene and picked up a slightly faulty personal shield. There had been some great stuff when his Master had shot him and then thrown him off a balcony in front of Dr Weir, but then it had become obvious that the thing was stuck and he had seen his own end far too clearly. In the end he had had to trust that the shield’s power would last long enough for him to be able to throw the generator through the ‘gate, tempting the black smoke energy monster through the circle into space.

If Rodney was honest, it really had not occurred to him that there was any other way. He had not thought that he could easily lay down his life because he was only a slave. He had not thought that someone else could save all the people who had abused him for so long. He had not even thought that he should save his brain for a time when it would be needed – all he had thought was that there was a shield that only he could use and that he was the only person who could save his Master.

So, suddenly he was a hero. He didn’t feel that he had been brave – after all he had had a shield to protect himself, but people kept smiling at him. His Master had been there when he woke up and had grinned widely at him and Carson had tutted, but smiled broadly. Dr Weir had commended him and even Dr Zelenka had said ‘Well done’ and something else in Czech.

The strangest thing of all was that half of the Marines smiled at him and the other half just ignored his existence. Even Bates appeared to have decided to leave him alone and that, above all else, was the best consequence of all. If he could just get on with his life and devote himself to his Master and Physics (in that order), then his life would be perfect… and it seemed as though he was actually getting his wish.

Something was obviously about to go very, very wrong.

***

 

When Marie went in to check on the patient at about 2am, she heard whimpering and it made her frown. Major Sheppard had been through a lot today and, although he had regained consciousness briefly earlier, he had soon succumbed to exhaustion. He had died for a few minutes and had his heart rebooted, so it was weird that he should be resurfacing now.

The nurse pulled back the privacy curtain that the doctors had constructed and discovered that it wasn’t the patient making that noise. It was a slave sitting cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the Major’s cot bed. She could tell from the dull gleam of the collar around his neck that showed above his science uniform.

“What are you doing here?” She hissed, making the slave start in surprise and yelp.

“Ma’am?” His blue eyes looked frightened.

“You shouldn’t be here!”

“H… he’s my Master, Ma’am,” the slave whispered back, eyes flicking up to the patient. “I… I couldn’t be anywhere else.”

Marie thought for a second. It was obvious that the whimpering had come from the slave, so she decided to get him away and thus avoid disturbing the patient. The man in the bed was the military commander and needed to rest and recover.

Mind made up, Marie beckoned at the slave and hissed,

“Come with me… now!”

The slave hesitated, looking back at the Major, then he nodded and got up, smoothing the sheet over his Master, even though it wasn’t needed, checking that there was water nearby and that the call button was by the Major’s hand. He then turned and followed Marie to the break room.

Doctor Beckett had set this room up with a cot bed and coffee machine so that the night duty nurse or doctor would have a place to relax. Once the door was closed, Marie sat in the cream chair that had survived millennia, and pointed at the coffee machine. The slave filled one of the mugs and held it out to her with a selection of creamer and sweeteners, but she showed him her own mug.

“It’s for you,” she told him. The slave was clearly surprised, but he quickly replaced the condiments in their trays and settled on the floor with his prize, which he clearly relished.

“Now, tell me what you are doing here,” she instructed.

“I belong to the Major, Ma’am, and I couldn’t stay in his room while he wasn’t there. I thought… I… he might need me,” the slave answered.

“What’s your name?” she asked gently.

“Rodney, Ma’am.”

“My name is Marie… Ma’am makes me feel old,” Marie grimaced with some humour, but Rodney was clearly disturbed by this and he knelt up quickly.

“I’m really sorry, Ma’am… uh… Nurse Marie… I… I didn’t mean to… I’m not very good at… I didn’t mean to be rude!” Rodney babbled desperately.

“It’s ok,” Marie grinned. “I’m not offended, I just wanted to offer you someone to talk to. You sounded upset.”

Now the slave looked positively astounded.

“Someone to talk to, Nurse Marie?” he gasped. “I’m a slave!” he reminded her, showing her his collar with its tags.

“You were whimpering. You were clearly upset. Now, tell me what is wrong,” she commanded.

Rodney sat back and pulled his knees up to his chest, placing the coffee mug down on the ground.

“My Master has been nothing but wonderful to me and… he died today,” he told her.

“He was shocked and then revived,” Marie agreed. She had been told the whole thrilling story by Doctor Beckett before being left in charge.

“I know… I had to watch and there was nothing I could do. I was working as fast as I could and I even shouted at Lt Ford, but… but he died and… I can’t lose him, Nurse Marie, I can’t! He’s made my life… bearable! He saved me and he can’t die!” Rodney’s eyes filled with tears and Marie smiled sympathetically. “He had this… this bug on his neck and they couldn’t get it off – they tried everything and I couldn’t think of anything to help, and I couldn’t get the drive pod to retract! We were stuck and there was nothing I could do and he… he was in such pain!”

“Rodney? Rodney, shush!” Marie tried to calm the distraught slave. Eventually he came to the end of his woes and she knelt in front of him. “Rodney, your Master survived.”

“He told me to go,” Rodney added in a calmer voice. “He stayed to hold off the Wraith while the Lieutenant and Miss Teyla and I made our way back. It should have been me… I should have stayed behind.”

“Can you fight Wraith?” Marie asked gently.

“I can shoot a gun without dropping it!” Rodney responded.

“He probably felt that you were under his protection and that you were pretty defenceless,” Marie suggested.

“He was in such pain,” Rodney moaned again. “And he won’t be totally fit again for a few days at least.”

“He’s strong, Rodney and he’ll be fine,” Marie reassured him.

“What would happen to me if he died?” Rodney asked rhetorically. “I would revert back to Military ownership and…. I can’t go back. He’s made me… he’s spoiled me and… it would kill me.” Rodney was embarrassed at the tears that threatened to fall.

“Rodney?” Marie put a hand on the slave’s shoulder and smiled. “Listen to me. Your Master is alive and well. He may be weak for a few days, but he will need you to help him and serve him. You will have to encourage him and inspire him and then, in a few days he’ll be fighting fit and you’ll have forgotten all this today.”

“You’re telling me not to worry about uncertain futures… but that’s what I do. I can’t switch it off and pretend… he’s a hero and it’s going to get him killed,” Rodney explained and there was that whimper again.

Marie sighed and stood up.

“I can’t stop you from thinking, but I can allow you to be near him. Take a pillow and a blanket from the store and you can sleep by his bed and be there when he wakes up in the morning. I’ll leave a note for Dr Biro when she takes over in the morning. Be there for him, Rodney and try and get some sleep.”

For a moment Rodney just stared at her, then he gave her a small, watery smile.

“Thank you very much, Nurse Marie… thank you for listening to me,” he said and then he did as she suggested and took a pillow and a blanket and left the room.

Marie refilled her coffee and sat back down. Then she put her hand in her pocket and pulled out an old photo of a smiling girl who looked remarkably similar to herself. The nurse stroked the picture with a small, sad smile and traced over the collar around her sister’s neck. 

It was getting worse. Ever since the ‘Bug Incident’ – as Rodney thought of it – all their missions had gone wrong. They had been out to various worlds where Miss Teyla had friends and where they had been welcomed with open arms. However, in two thirds of these missions the Wraith had turned up - sending the Athosians’ allies into the hell that came after a culling, and the Lanteans running for home.  
Rodney was getting good at running.

To make matters worse, every time they came back from a mission there were too many armed soldiers waiting for them to return, Dr Weir hovered and tried to get his Master to talk.

And then there was Bates.

Bates. He was waiting again this time and Rodney sighed as he headed into another confrontation he couldn’t control, and he certainly couldn’t win.

“Ego! Tell me what happened!” Bates ordered as the Major ascended the steps again to debrief Dr Weir.

“Nothing, sir,” Rodney reported. “We turned up at the village, Miss Teyla introduced us, we had some food and then the gate dialled and the Wraith arrived.”

“Did Teyla leave you alone at any point?” Bates demanded, and Rodney bit back an angry, sarcastic retort. He so desperately wanted to tear into the stupid sergeant and rip away his suspicions, but Rodney had to control himself if he valued his back.

“No, sir. She was with us at all times.”

“Did she speak in a different language? Signal to anyone?” Bates pressed.

Rodney really wanted to push the idiot out of the way, but he couldn’t. “She didn’t, sir. She just wants to help us find allies! Sir, she’s losing friends she has known all her life!” Rodney argued.

Bates almost spat his derision. “She’s selling us out and the sooner we get this trash off our city, the better.”

“Can I go to the infirmary now, sir? It’s where I was ordered to go by my Master,” Rodney asked as humbly as he could.

“I might suspect you too… if I wasn’t watching every move you make,” Bates threatened, and Rodney shivered at the pure menace behind the security officer’s words.

***

When the next mission had Rodney in the infirmary, hit by a Wraith stunner, he knew that his Master would be up against it. The Major had said as much the night before, and Rodney worried for Miss Teyla and the Athosians.

“Are you well, Rodney?” Teyla asked, appearing as he was being released from the infirmary.

“I can’t feel my fingers properly… but I think I’m ok, ma’am,” Rodney smiled.

“May I accompany you back to your quarters?” Teyla offered and Rodney nodded, unsure what to do.

They walked in silence for most of the way, but as they reached the room that the Major had taken over, Teyla asked.

“Do you resent our presence in Atlantis?”

“What? No, ma’am!” Rodney responded in alarm. “It’s not your fault you are here and you’re helping us with food and things! No! No way!”

“There are others who do not see it as you do,” Teyla told him.

“Sergeant Bates,” Rodney nodded.

“And others who form a group around him. He does not trust us. I believe he thinks of us as savages,” Teyla told him bitterly.

“He’s wrong!” Rodney replied, adamantly.

Teyla smiled her wise smile. “My people do not feel welcome here, and they do not approve of my friendship with your… Master.” Rodney had noticed that she had always had difficulty acknowledging his status. “They believe that I am deluded when I say that I am convinced that your people are the answer to ridding us of the Wraith.”

Rodney palmed the door open and led her inside, urging Teyla to sit while he settled on the floor.

“We are not your Ancestors, Miss Teyla, but we do have Science and we do have the gene. We don’t understand all of the technology that the Ancients left behind, but we are making progress.”

“I know this to be true, Rodney,” Teyla agreed, “and I know that you are not the Ancestors returned to us, but I do know that your people are the only ones who can stand up to the Wraith. I have lost so many friends and many allies to the Wraith… your people can help me fight back!”

“The soldiers are brave and not afraid to fight,” Rodney acknowledged, “I… I would fight too if I could.”

“If you would like to learn to fight, then I should be honoured to show you,” Teyla offered and Rodney chuckled.

“I’m very fortunate that my Master allows me to take a gun on our missions. If I were to even attempt to hit a free person, even in training…” Rodney shuddered theatrically.

“Thank you for your friendship, Rodney. I must return to my people and discuss these events.”

***

There was land on the planet – a vast continent and the Athosians were going to live there and raise crops. Teyla was excited, but fearful and she had sought Rodney out again, telling him of her desire to remain and fight and how this meant that she was practically rejecting her people. Rodney wasn’t quite sure why she came to him and told him these things. He really wasn’t very good at people and had no idea how to reassure her. He had tried to awkwardly pat her on the back once and she had frowned, puzzled… so he hadn’t tried that again.

The scent of suspicion and mistrust was strong in the city and there was hostility between the Athosians and the Lanteans. Even those who had not thought about the implications of the Pegasus natives’ presence in their home, were now being confronted with hateful glares from their guests. The Athosians were strongly united and it was clear that they no longer felt welcome.

In the meantime, Rodney’s Master was stuck in a hard place, as he explained, pacing around the lab where Rodney was working.

“I really understand where Elizabeth and Bates are coming from, but it makes no sense that the Athosians, who really hate the Wraith, would be signalling them and helping them!” the Major groused. “What do they have to gain by it? And when, exactly, are they supposed to be doing this?”

“Miss Teyla went off on her own on that planet with the shy people, Master,” Rodney reminded him.

“I know, but… not Teyla! Not even Dr Weir thought it could be Teyla! And she brought Ford back! I can’t see it! Not Teyla! Bates thinks that I’m not good enough for his men… I’m not his precious Sumner!” the Major ranted.

“It’s only a few people, Master, not the whole expedition and Dr Weir thinks that you’re the best person to do the job! Lt Ford would follow you anywhere!” Rodney reassured.

“Ford’s like a big puppy! Feed him and take out for walks regularly and he’ll do anything for you!” the Major smirked. “The others think I’m just a pilot.”

Rodney watched his Master pace around again, unsure if he was supposed to say anything.

Rodney’s Master suddenly banged a steel cupboard behind Rodney with his boot and growled.

“I don’t wanna lose Teyla… but she thinks I have betrayed her. Bates just dragged her off like some… some criminal!” he thumped his fist down on the surface. “And now they want to just dump them on the landmass… we don’t even know what’s down there!”

“I thought the Athosians wanted to go, Master?” Rodney argued.

The Major looked at him. “Without access to the Stargate? Dumped to farm for us? Cut off and dependent? I don’t think so! I’m going to see if Ford’s woken up yet!”

The Major stormed off again and Rodney sighed and went back to the simulation he was ‘observing’. He had already surreptitiously changed it twice to improve it, but he was still stuck just watching.

“Slave!”

Rodney started at the sound of Bates’ bark, then he resigned himself to more problems. “Yes Sir.”

“I want these things scanned,” Bates commanded, dumping a bag of Athosian stuff on Rodney’s desk.

“Scanned, sir?” Rodney questioned. Then he realised that he had seen some of these things before. “These belong to Miss Teyla!” he protested.

“Yes, they do and I want it checked and re-checked for hidden weapons, transmitters, recording devices…” the sergeant ordered.

“I can’t do this, sir…” Rodney tried to wriggle out of it, but Bates stepped closer.

“Your Master knows about this and you will do it!”

Rodney quailed under the threatening stance of the sergeant and Bates stepped back, mollified and certain that his orders would be carried out. Rodney sighed and started looking through Miss Teyla’s personal stuff.

***

“Master?” Rodney called querulously on the radio.

“Rodney? I’m with Ford, can this wait?” John answered.

“Not really, Master,” Rodney sounded scared.

John jumped off the bed and shook Ford’s arm.

“No more head-bumping!”

“No Sir,” Ford answered sheepishly, rubbing his head where he had hit it.

John trotted off to the lab where he was met by his slave kneeling with head bowed, surrounded by things that could only be owned by…

“What the hell is this?” he demanded, furiously.

“Please, Master, I know how it looks, but…” Rodney tried to explain.

“How it looks?” John growled. “Did Bates put you up to this?” he demanded. “I’m gonna bust his ass! Then I’m gonna whip you so hard you won’t be sitting down again for a month!”

“Yes Master,” Rodney nodded unhappily, “but… please, Master…”

“Teyla has NOTHING to do with this!” John grabbed the ring on Rodney’s collar and hauled him up, shaking him.

“I know, Master! I know! But… he was right! He was right!” Rodney cried, flinching.

“What?” John stopped shaking his slave, but didn’t release his grip.

“This, Master… it’s a transmitter!” he held up the locket thing that John had found.

“What? But… but I found this. I gave it to her!” John took the locket. “I found it on her planet, in the ruins… we have to go and show Elizabeth.”

***

When John got back to his room, after speaking to the Wraith they had captured, he found Rodney kneeling again. His slave was prostrate in the middle of the room and shaking, almost as badly as he had been during the mission. His head was on the floor and his hands were by his head and he was clearly expecting the worst.

John was unsure what to do. On the one hand his slave had violated Teyla’s privacy in the worst possible way and had deliberately searched through her stuff, but on the other, he had been intimidated by Bates and he had acquitted himself well on the planet.

He circled the terrified slave, wondering what to do.

“Get up!” he commanded. He had made a decision and he was going to implement it.

Rodney got to his knees and looked up pleadingly at his Master, but he obviously didn’t dare to speak.

“Why did you do it?” John demanded. “You knew that I would never condone searching through Teyla’s stuff like that!”

“Sergeant Bates told me that you knew about it Master,” Rodney replied miserably. “I should have known he was lying.”

John picked up the leash that he had bought for his slave and hooked it onto his slave’s collar. He then crouched down and looked Rodney in the eyes.

“You’re on a short leash, Rodney. There must be someone holding this at all times, or I want it tied to something solid. We both know you can undo it, so there’s no danger to you, but you are not going anywhere unaccompanied. There are two reasons for this. I want to know that I can trust you and this is punishment.”

“Yes Master,” Rodney acknowledged.

“Also I don’t want you going anywhere with Bates or his cronies.” The Major gave the leash a shake. “This will be handled by people I can trust – Teyla, Elilzabeth, Carson, Zelenka and maybe others – we’ll see.”

“Yes Master,” Rodney responded again.

“Get up and get my wash things,” John commanded and was surprised when Rodney hesitated. “Well?”

“Should I b…bring the whip, Master?” Rodney asked, holding up a short, whippy crop.

All the tension left John as he saw his slave offering himself up for punishment. At the end of the day, Rodney had been coerced by Bates and it had been Teyla’s locket that was to blame. John smiled and ruffled Rodney’s hair, picking up the leash’s handle.

“No, I think the short leash thing is going to be horrid enough. Come on, before the hot water runs out.” The Major started towards the bathroom.

Rodney stood and looked at his Master with such admiration and devotion that John blushed. Then he reasoned that Rodney would soon realise that his Master was just a guy and things would be back to normal.

Rodney knew better and followed his Master with a heart full of love.


End file.
